Improvement in artificial limbs



UNITED STATES PATENT "Orrrcn.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,03 ,dated June 7, 1864."

To all whom it may concern: Bei known that I, GUs'rAynsCnR. I {rnscn- MANN, of the city, county, and State of New Yorlr,'have invented anew and useful 11n` proyement in 'Artificial Limbs, and I dohereby declare that the following-is a full, clear, and

exaetdesleriptionfofthe sarrne,'ret'erence being ha'dto-the accompanying drawings, forming.

a partei this specification, in Whieh`` Figure 1 represents a longitudinal"yertieal section'of an artificial leg constructed according to my invention, the line'rr m, Fig'. 2, indieating the plane oi.' section. Fig.' `2 is a' rear elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 isa plan or top Yiew of the foot detached. -Figf is a detached sidef elevation ot' the kneejoint when bent.v Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detached. sections of dit'-l ferent toes. Fig. 8 is a detached,v side elevation 'of the fulcruin pinof tholnce-joint. Similar letters -ot' reference in'hll the iig-A ures indicate corresponding parts. rlheprincipal'objectfof this inventionis to combine` with thevarious joints, or with the springs which 'control l'the'-nfiotion of said' joints," certain cords or straps in such a manthespringin the ankle-joint, in `such a nian ner that the extent of the motion of the anklejoint can-begregulated, and that'in'bending theflegeierward' the screw, rby coming in contactwithsaid spring, relieves the leg from the v suddenstrain to which it would be exposed if'its motion should be'stopped suddenly.-

scribeit. A represents an artificial leg, the shell of which isstruek up of sheetbrass or other snitable-material in the proper form .or shape to im-itatea natural leg. It is made in two parts, whiohgupn'ite at -th `e linee-joint, and the. knee is represented by a globe-shaped projection, A,

I which enables lthe twoparts to worlreasy and with little'friction. AThe stump otlthe amputated limb is inserted into the cup B, whichjis also made of sheet metal or other suitable ina-5 terial, andperforated with a large number of holes to provide for ventilation. This cup connects by a rod, a.,'wi th the kneejoint 0 and the roda isprovided with a serew-thredand nut b, so that the distance between thelknee-jointand cupca-u be adjusted at pleasure. The .lower end of the rod ap'rovided with avi'ork, a', whic has its bearing .on the fulcrunl-pin c of th knee-joint, and which is situated between a similar fork, d', on the uppenend of a rod, d', eirrlhe fulcrum-pin'oof thefkneeljoint passes through the sides of the shell A5-and it is made oval or eccentric, so that 'bjturning it the position of theV forks c and d'in relation to 'each other is slightly altered,and thelength' of the legcan be varied to ai certain extentto -makeup for-wear. or for the purposeot anal adjustmen't'of said length. `if'lh'erods 'a and d are 'surrounded'..by tubes D and- E, which? are strengthen the legi and 'to .steady-fl the knee' joint.` The lower tube,"E.is provided'w-ith' two' pairs ot' arlnsfeand c', one pair, e, being se cured 'to the upper end of vsaid ztube, and the other pair, e/{Vata shortfdista'nce below.' ',Th'ese arms formthe'b'earings fora-seies'o'f frictionrollers, fw 11ieh 'form thegu'ide'sf for the valriousropes'by which the springs of the several joints can bestrained orthe'joints setto suit circumstane'es. From the centers ofthefarms e smallftubes' e* extend to the inside:ofthe shell, and :these tubes form guidesfor-the fnlpurpose of connecting the shell with'the in To enable'those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will proceed to`de termal-mechanism of the' leg.

F. F'` are two sleeves, one slid '.lyishown in Figs. l'and 4of the drawings, and each ot' the sleeves is provided with arinsj'* j, which form the bearings for th(` axles-of tending from the linee-joint'to.theanklejointi 'cram-pin 'cof tlieknee-joint. Similar.tubes,e*,

frictionrollers 71. hit h hi. Said arms and sleeves are connected by springs G G', of milla-rubber or other suitable material, the

springs -G being secured to the friction-rollersv h 71', and thetsprings l" t0 loops t' fi", which are attached to the vouter surfaces of the armsj'* and j"t,'as shown in Fig. 4. These springs govern the -motion of the knee-joint, and their tension is regulated by ropes H H.

vThe rope ll is secured to the roller h* 'on the sleeve F, and the rope H to the roller 'ht on the sleeve F'. The rope H extends in a direct line np between the shell and cup, :und connects with the body-strap, and the rope H extends from the roller hit down over a roller, it, in the end ot' two arms, Wi, that a are iirnily securedto the tube E below the sleeve F,and from this roller it (the. rope) eX-, tends np between a set of guide-rollers between the arms e and through vbetween the shell and cup; and it is also connected to the body-strap the same as the rope H. By pulling the rope H the sleeve F` is drawn down,

and consequently' the distance between the two sleeves, and with it the tension of the springs G G', are increased. By tightening or slackening the ropes H Il', therefore, the tension ot' the springs can be regulated at pleasure. In bending the kneejoint the springs G bear against the friction-rollers f in the ends ofthe arms @,and the springs G against frictionrollers uit', which rotate on the outside bt' the folks at the ends oi' the ltubes D F on the fulcruni-pin c ofthe knee-joi nt. the springs are protected against injury. The motion .of the knee'joint is further facilitated and softened by a metal spring, at, attached .to-the inside of the shell A, andl bearing l v The tube F ter- A minutes below in a disk, El, which forms the i support for the bearings of frictionv rollers' e2 02%,

against the rubber spring G.

to guide the adjusting-ropes ofthe ankle-joint andof the toe joint or joints, and which is provided with flanges e3, whereby the lower part ot' the shell can. be conveniently fas-tened to the tube E. The ankle-joint l has its t'ulcrum en a pivot, it, which has its bearings in two flanges, i2, rising from a standard, It, which is secured in the shell A* of the foot, and said piiot also passes through a fork, d4, secured By these rollers to the lower end of the screw rod d, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The motion of the anklejointis governed b y a spring, J, which is secured on the inside of the shell Ai", and the loose end of which bears against the fork d* at ihe bottom end. of the rod d. A setscrew,

j, which is inserted in the fork and bears on ihn spring J, serves to regula-te the tension of said spring and" red nee, the `jar in bending the ankle forward. The toe part K may either be made by combining all the toes in one shell .and exposing thc-saine to the action of' the spring Ji, assisted by the spring-sole K', or each toe inay'be represented separately and provided with a separate spring, as shown iu Figs. 5, 6, :in-'li'. The toe part or toes are.

entirely .disconnected from the shell A* ot the foot, and'they are fastened down upon the sole a4 by means f solder or by screws, or in any other desirable manner. rlhe spring sole K is made of a thin plate of sheetsteel, and it is secured to the sole at by means ot' screws, or in any other suitable manner. The toe part K is so attached to the sole a that a gap, 7c, is left. between its inner edge l andthe edge of the s heIljAl, and this gap is filled out bya strip, Z, of'india-rubber or other suitable elastic material, whereby the toe part is held in the natural position when the footis at rest or set down upona liat surface. The position of the toe part K is regulated by two ropes, L L', which are attached to a roller, m, having its hearing sv in suitable standards in the front end of' said toe part. The rope L extends. fronithe roller m over a roller, n,

which is secured to the fork d at the lower end ot' the rod d, and thence up through between the guide-rollers e? on the disk Et, and

its upper end is hooked onto the roller h on the sleeve F. It' the sleeve F is drawn up by the action of the rope E, a strain is exerted on the vlrope L, and simultaneously with increasing thel tension of the springs ofthe knee-joint the toejoint is also strained and set to correspond to the increased tension of the kneejoint. '.lhe rope L may, however, be continued up and connected to the body-strap,

so that itvcan be strained independently -of the springs ot' the knee-joint. The rope L [extends from 'the roller m over a roller, a', at

the back end or" the standard It, which snpports the ankle-joint, and thence it extends up andfthrough,between guide-valves et* on the disk Ei, and thrcugh'between the rollers fon the arms c and f on the sleeves, and its upper end passes out between the cup and shell and connects to the body strap. By pulling this rope the toe part vcan be adjusted independent ot' the knee joint. The ropes L L iuay'be made ot some elastic materiahso that they act as springs and also as regulators.

The motion of the various ropes between the cup and shell is facilitated by friction-rollers a5, attached to the sides ef the cup. In case the toes K* are represented separately, as shown in Fig. 3, and detached in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, 4each toc is fastened to the soleiplate a, leaving agap between its inner edge and the edge of the shell Ait, and the ropes L L are connected to' a 'cross-bar, l?, whichconnects the links of the several toes; (See to artiiici'al arnis, saidjoint being made to rep- Aknee-joint, as and for the `purpose described.

3. The combination' ofthe tubes D and E with the screw-rods a and@ and shell A, as

l and for the purpose set forth.

4.2 The small tubes .e*"e'*, in combination with the tube E, rod d, and shell A, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The arms e e', provided with guiderollers f, in combination with the tube E and ropes H H' L L', as and for the purpose described. 6. The sleeves F F', in combination4 with the springs G G', tubes DE, and rods a (Las and for the purpose set forth.

7. The ropes H H, in combination with the sleeves F F' and springs G G', constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose shown Aand described.

joint, as set forth. l

9. The disk provided with flanges chin coin.-l i bination with the tubeE and shell A, as and l forj the purpose speciiied.

10. The set; screw j, in con'ibination with the springs J J* and anklejoint I, constructed f and operating .substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The rope L, in- Acombination with the toepiece K, sleeve F, rope H, and springs G G'. all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. The rope L', in combination with the spring-sole K' and toe-piece K, as and for the purpose specified.

13. The cross-bar l2, in combination with the toe's K* and ropes L'L', constructed and operating as and for the purpose specified.

GUSTMUS CHRISTIAN KIRSCIIMANN.

Witnesses: A

M. M. LIVINGSTON, p Timo. TUscrL 

